Like I told y’all, and all (sorry – wrong province, that’s Durban) the Fossil wanted to continue our Walk 4 SOS Huskies fundraising journey from Wilderness beach. Well, you guessed it – ‘No Dogs Allowed – again! There’s even an acronym for it; NDA, which rhymes with “nada”, which is Spanish for “Nothing”. And the Latin root of nada, nata, means “small, insignificant thing.” That’s exactly what all of these NDA signs make me feel like!
So, we jumped back into the Mahindra PIKUP (actually, I get picked up and Des does the lifting – that 4×4 is too high for me to jump) and took a slow drive along the N2 motorway towards George. We took every turnoff looking for farm roads running parallel to the motorway. No way!
We even pulled in at Victoria Bay beach. Same “No Doggy Can Do” signs – No way – All the way! We pulled in at the pet-friendly New Wave Cafe along Victoria Bay Road and the dog loving lady there also said “Doggy hiking trails around here? No Way!”
When we were staying at Linger Longa Self-Catering in Sedgefield last night, the Fossil found a book about Garden Route hiking trails but nearly all are in National Parks where the NDA rule applies.
Seeing as there’s nada to say about walking today, let me tell you about the pet-friendly Linger Longa. The owners, Keith and Anne Werner, are actually letting the rooms out long-term ’cause of that human “COFFIN-19 Plandemic” thingy that bust the tourism industry. So they aren’t taking in overnighters but made an exception for me! They even let the Fossil stay, so they’re human-friendly too!
The self-catering unit has an enclosed courtyard in front, so pets can chill out outside. Inside, there’s two beds – one for the Fossil, and the other for…? Certainly not for me – I have my own blanket and cushion to sleep on. And it’s close to the shops. Not that we went shopping – just saw them while I walked the Fossil on his leash.
Seeing we couldn’t Linger any Longa this morning, we packed up and bid our host farewell. And, know what? Anne and Keith actually gave a donation to my campaign! In cash. In an envelope with a message that I can’t read, but you can.
The Fossil didn’t want to accept it, saying “You’ve already donated to his cause by hosting us”. But he did. And I’m grateful, although I’m still waiting for the snack.
Talking ’bout snacks, we arrived at our next pet-friendly hosts place, Waterside Lodge Wilderness, and the lodge manager, Belinda, gave Des a whole pack of those delicious dog treats that he carries in his backpack for me. It’s like she knew exactly what I like before even meeting me! Or maybe she read one of my blog posts? Anyway, I’ll write more about Waterside Lodge in tomorrows post.
Oh yes, in case you missed it, below is Des’s media interview with Rose Bilbrough, know locally as “Travelbug Rose Blogger“, talking about my Walk 4 SOS Huskies campaign.
That’s all for now human folks. Wanna talk to us? WhatsApp the tall fossil hanging onto my leash. Here’s his number: +27 (0)82 374 7260.
JAXX
PS. That extra X on the end of my name is supposed to be a kiss (yeah, I know it’s soppy).
BTW: if you happen to be anywhere along our walking route between Plettenberg Bay and Cape Town during late July to mid-August 2021, look out for us (we’ll be walking along the beach, or on a hiking trail, or along the side a main road) and come over to say “Howzit Husky Boy!” and “Fossil Man” if you want.
